Matthew's Pride
by chelsea1234
Summary: This story is loosely based on the episode "The Cattle Drive."
1. Chapter 1

This story is loosely based on "The Cattle Drive." I never really liked the part where Matthew and Sully fought. So I've written it the way I would have like it to have gone LOL. Be WARNED...there will be spanking of an almost adult. So if it's not your thing feel free to read something else. My opinion is that he had it coming. Matthew was a brat through the whole two episodes. I hope some of you like it :) 

Matthew felt like he'd grown an inch everyday since he'd read what Olive had left him in her will. The sadness at losin her was soothed by the generous gift she'd given him. Not just the cattle...the fact that she saw him as a man. A man old enough to run his own ranch with his own cattle. He was determined to prove her right.

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Sully could see Matthew was determined to be in charge. To be the trail boss. To do everythin his way. He'd only offered his advice when he thought the boy was really about to wander off the right path...literally. Matthew was young. Too young to see what a life changing gift had been given to him and too selfish to put his own needs aside to take care of everyone's best interests. If he'd have only listened and let him scout, they'd have had water a lot sooner.

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Matthew jumped from his horse as anger surged through him. He was already mad about Jesse causin the stampede and stealin some of his cattle. But the look on Colleen's face as she realised that Jesse had lied to her... made her look like a fool...even then she didn't want to believe it. Matthew wanted to find him and make him pay...He wouldn't get away with stealin from his people. Not on his trail.

"I'm goin after him." he stated emphatically. Of course Sully tried to stop him...Dr Mike tried to stop him. They thought he was a child and he couldn't hold his own. Well he could and he'd show them.

"Quit tryin to stop me!" he said as he gave Sully a push. Not the smartest move he'd ever made but he was too angry to care. He just wanted the wall of a man to move so he could be on his way.

"I'm not gonna let you go!" Sully had hollered.

"It ain't up to you!" Then Sully had done it. He'd shoved him and he fell right on his backside in front of everyone.

"You ain't goin!" he stated as firmly as any Pa at his wits end with an angsty half grown son. That'd done it. If Sully wanted a fight he'd give him one. He charged at him with a belly full of anger, but as he swung his fist Sully caught it in his own big paw.

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Michaela shook her head and called first one and then the other. The others had all run for cover by now...well Brian had been coaxed away rather forcefully by Mr Bray. He'd been shocked into silence for once by the loud set to that Matthew and Sully were havin. He hadn't never seen Sully that mad...He tried to peak outta the tent but Grace had just hauled him back in and found him a job to do.

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Sully grasped Matthew's arm in a steely grip and marched him behind the wagon. He weren't gonna take this attitude any longer. Out on the trail was a dangerous place and Matthew needed to listen and not take chances. He sat on a wooden crate and tossed the angry young man across his knee clamping his leg over both of Matthew's to keep the boy still.

"You need to get your anger under control." Sully said as he brought his hand down hard on the boy's dusty pants. "You're not thinkin straight."

"Let me go!" Matthew yelped as a flurry of hard smacks followed the first one. "You have no right!" Sully shook his head and continued to pepper the wriggling target with hard smacks.

"Matthew I have every right! I love you like I would if you were my own boy and I'm not going to let you put yourself in harm's way." Matthew stopped yelling but he didn't give up the fight, he just let on that he had. Sully just didn't get it. He wasn't Brian and he wasn't a child.

"Stop Sully." he said. He wasn't stupid either. He knew that Sully wasn't going to stop until he said what he wanted to hear. "I won't go." Sully stopped immediately and helped Matthew stand.

"You can do a good job of bein the trail leader Matthew but you gotta look at the whole picture."Sully said as he patted the boy that he thought of as a son on the shoulder.

Inside Matthew rolled his eyes. He just wanted to get away from there so he could go after Jesse and the other hand. He was gonna get back what was his.

" I said I wouldn't go didn't I?"

"Make sure that you don't."

"Or what? You gonna spank me again?"

"As many times as I have to to keep you safe." Matthew picked his hat up and banged it on his leg to shake off the dust and then stormed back to camp.

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Sully walked into the tent and Michaela glared. There weren't no privacy through a cloth wall. Goin behind the wagon stopped everyone from seein but there wouldn't have been no one that didn't hear.

"I had to." he tried to explain.

"Sully...he's overwhelmed.." Even she was having trouble trying to explain her son's behaviour.

"He's out of control...and out here...that's dangerous." Michaela frowned and then nodded.

"So tomorrow he'll be better?"

"I hope so."

"And if he's not?"

"Then I'll have to make sure that he is."

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A while later the trail leader was back on his horse ready to give his orders.

"We're gonna rest the cattle." he said gruffly while trying not to wriggle in his saddle. He ignored the complaints about people wanting to get home. He sent them back to camp. "I'll take the first watch." he said. He'd be watchin alright. He'd be watchin that Jesse hit the ground.

Brian watched his brother's face. He knew him probably better 'an anyone and he was lyin. Why he'd lie like that after Sully already spanked him he didn't know...But he did know he wasn't gonna let him go alone. It must be real dangerous for Sully to get that mad... Sully hardly never got real mad. Not mad enough to shout anyways. He watched as the others pulled ahead of him, but Mr Bray turned around and shouted for him to hurry.

"I'm just gonna practice my slingshot." he said with an innocent grin. Luckily for him Mr Bray was tired and just wanted to get back to camp. He told Brian to be careful and not be long.

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Matthew followed the trail through the trees but a noise was botherin him. He turned around to find Brian behind him.

"What're you doin?"

"Don't be mad." he started.

The kid argued with him and tried every trick in the book to get his brother to let him stay, but Matthew finally talked him into going back and covering for him. Told him to tell the others that he was hunting game for dinner. Truth was it would be a help and it might keep Sully off his tail...literally.

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Brian turned his horse back towards camp but as soon as Matthew was out of sight he turned and followed him. There was no way he was gonna leave him out here alone.

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Matthew had come through the final thicket of trees and there they were...Jesse was laughin and braggin on his sister and how dumb she was...

"Drop your guns!" Matthew had ordered. But he'd faultered when Jesse had come towards him and Jesse had wrestled his gun from him. He punched him and they'd wrestled around, for a split second Matthew had actually wished he'd listened to Sully. But then Brian had come out shoutin and all thoughts except keepin him safe left his head. Only in the end it had been Brian that had kept him safe...with a sling shot. Thank God nothin had happened to him...

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Michaela paced up and down nervously. Brian hadn't been seen for some time and she was worried. They'd been about to go out and look when Sully spotted them comin over the hill with the cattle following.

Sully didn't allow his gaze to fall from Matthew's face as Brian excitedly told their tale of capturin the thieves. Matthew wasn't going to let it get to him. He hopped down from his horse and tossed everyone there stolen belongings. Jesse had run off with more than just the cattle. He flinched at the look on Colleen's face as she waited hopefully for him to tell her that he'd been mistaken, but he had to make her see. He tossed her the watch that Jesse had stolen from her and she threw it back and ran off cryin. He felt terrible for hurtin her like that but it had to be done...He knew he couldn't avoid Sully any longer so he turned to face him, determined to hold his ground.

"I told you not to go after him." Sully said."You put Brian in danger too."

"I didn't know he was commen." he said. "I told him to come back and..." he stopped, realising that he was about to drop himself and his brother in it further.

"And what?" Sully asked. "To cover for you?" he guessed. Accurately by the looks on both their faces.

"I followed him."Brian said trying to keep his brother out of trouble. A surge of bravado blew through Matthew likw a hurricane, taking with it all common sense.

"Just as well you did Brian." he said as he put his arm around his brother and steered him away. That'd show him who was boss, Matthew thought and the look he gave Sully transferred it as well as if the older man could read minds. He scoffed before bringing his hand down sharply across the seat of Brian's pants.

"Get in the tent." he said. Brian scooted as fast as his little legs would carry him. Matthew didn't have time to get away and there wouldn't have been anywhere to run if he did. If he thought he'd been in trouble with Sully before, he had a rude awakening. "Get on your horse." he said. "We're goin for a ride." He mounted his own horse and took Matthew's reigns and rode towards the nearest clump of trees.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and especially to those who reviewed.

It has been pointed out to me in a private message by Lilly100 that there is a Forum called "The Dr Quinn Forum" where under the fanfiction section, there is a group of people seeking to have my story ratings changed to M so that people have to delve to find them. Although most admit to not reading them at all. I find it interesting that they are effectively trying to "Burn my books". These quotes are directly form the episode of Dr Quinn called "The Library." I'm sure Beth Sullivan and Dr Quinn if she was actually a real person would be proud of all you townspeople. Not."

Quotes from 'Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman...the Library':

"Walt Whitman isn't something I care to read...but I wouldn't stop someone else from reading it. We can't be legislating morality."-Dr Quinn.

"We're going to reopen this Library with ALL the books enclosed." -Dr Quinn.

After pouring through the devastation of Michaela's ruined books after the townspeople burned them...

"How can people be so stupid?" -Colleen

"You can't say that...they just don't know better and that's called ignorance."-Dr Quinn.

Dr Quinn's high morality wanted nothing at all to do with controlling what other people read. She had her own preferences and she respected the preferences of others as I'm sure did Beth Sullivan the creator.

Chapter 2

"What are ya doin?" Matthew asked with a slight squeak as Sully cut a small branch from a tree. He knew full well what Sully was doing. His Ma hadn't been backward in sending him for a switch if he'd done wrong. "You...you can't. I ain't a child."

"You're sure doin a good impression of one." Sully said as he stripped the branch.

"I didn't do anything wrong." Matthew said not taking his eyes off the switch. He tilted his chin in a final defiant look. "I was getting back what was mine."

"I thought you were the trail boss." Matthew's eyes shifted guiltily but he held his ground.

"I am."

"Then who was looking after the trail in your absence?"

"The men."

"You didn't tell them where you were goin. If you hadn't come back...how would they know what to do next...where to go?" Matthew rolled his eyes. Sully was tryin to trap him into admitting he was wrong and he wasn't.

"Go ahead then I'm not scared."

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Brian ran into the tent rubbing his stinging behind.

"Your Ma spank ya huh?" Mr Bray asked.

"Nuh." Brian said his face heating. "Sully smacked me."

"Weell. You shouldna lied and said you were practisin your sling shot." Brian gave his bottom another rub.

"I was kinda."

"Now you know I didn't know you were goin after Matthew."

"I guess."

"That's right Brian." Michaela said. "If you knew what Matthew had planned you should have told someone so they could go and help."

"Sorry Ma."

"That's alright. But make sure that you remember next time."

"I will Ma." he said throwing his arms around her. "But I only wanted to help."

"I know, but if someone is doing a dangerous thing, it's far better to get help than to join in the danger yourself." Brian nodded. He was aware that Matthew's trouble had overshadowed his own...no need to make it all worse. At least Sully wasn't as mad at him as he was Brian."

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Michaela paced the tent and then went outside to wait. She had no idea what had gotten into Matthew and she wasn't sure about Sully's way of handling things but the truth was, she was out of ideas. If he didn't start acting more responsible someone was going to get hurt.

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"I'm not done talkin yet Matthew." Again Matthew rolled his eyes. "What if something had happened to Brian?" Matthew scrubbed his hand through his hair.

"I never wanted Brian to get to get hurt. I never wanted him to follow me!"

"And when you found he did...you told him to cover for you?"

"I wanted him to go back."

"But you used him." Matthew slapped his hat angrily against his leg.

"Can we just get this over with?"

"Not yet...If you really think you're right …..why'd ya ask Brian to tell everyone you were huntin for supper?"

"I'm sorry alright?" Matthew spat out as he backed up discretely.  
>"No...no it's a ways off from alright. C'mere." Matthew's eyes widened and he shook his head ever so slightly.<p>

"Nuthin happened." he argued.

"But it couldda. Matthew...it wouldda broke my heart ….and your Ma's if anything happened to you or your brother. A few head of cattle weren't worth that."

"Nuthin happened." Matthew said emphatically.

"Yes it did. You went off when I warned ya not to and you put yourself and your brother and everyone at this camp in danger. They had GUNS Matthew. All Brian had was a sling shot." Matthew sighed heavily. He had to concede some of Sully's points. Besides they were never going to get out of there until he admitted some kind of guilt.

"You don't have to use that." he said. "I get it."

"I wasn't goin to ….this time." Sully said. "But I'm takin it back to camp. It'll be there as a reminder of what'll happen if you decide getting your own way is more important than doin what's safe and right for yourself and those in your care.

"Fine." Matthew said as he walked towards his horse.

"This ain't finished Matthew."

"You said you weren't gonna woop me this time." he said worriedly. All those years of experience that he'd banked up in the last short while washed away as he stood before the man he'd come to think of as a Pa.

"I said I wasn't gonna use the switch." Before Matthew had much time to process what had been said he found himself pinned under Sully's arm. He tried hard to not dance up and down as Sully's work hardened hand paddled the seat of his britches over and over. "No more chances Matthew."

"I won't!" Matthew said with a sob. Sully stopped and pulled the boy into a hug.

"See that you don't. Bein a man isn't about takin chances. It's about knowin when not to." Matthew nodded.

Sully knew that Matthew would try... but he also knew he was a half grown boy and he was still learnin.

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Michaela breathed a sigh of relief as Sully and Matthew rode into view. Matthew did feel a pang of guilt when he saw how harried Dr Mike looked.

"Matthew.." she said with relief as he gratefully jumped from his horse.

"I'm sorry I worried ya Dr Mike." he said gruffly. And he was. He had to do what he had to do but he never really wanted to make Dr Mike worry. Now he had to check on the hands and give them their orders. He climbed into his saddle a little gingerly and walked his horse over to where the hands were waiting.

Michaela looked at Sully pointedly as he also jumped down from his horse.

"Sometimes Michaela, words just ain't enough."

"He's trying so hard to be a man."

"He's tryin too hard to be a man...but he's not...not yet...but he will be." Michaela nodded.

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Angry feelings were forgotten for a time as they all got to experience the miracle of birth. Everyone watched with awe as Michaela aided the struggling mother as she delivered her calf. Unfortunately the mother didn't survive and Bran found himself bein the cow's Ma or Pa or whatever it was that would keep the calf alive. He even got to feed it through the finger of a glove.

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The peace though didn't last long. Matthew and Sully were testing the river to see where it was safe to cross. Sully had wanted to cross further down but once again Matthew wouldn't listen.

"I think it's safe here." he said emphatically before riding off to tell the others to herd the cattle towards the spot he'd chosen. Sully shook his head. He couldn't believe that the boy was still so stubborn that he was gonna put everyone's safety at risk.

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The hands were all struggling to get the cattle to cross. They milled dangerously in circles as their fear of the water escalated. They sensed that there was danger and they weren't happy at all.

Brian watched worriedly as his Ma and Sully tried to manoeuvre their horses through the nettled cattle. Even Matthew was concerned but it was too late. He'd let his pride and stubbornness take over again...Then it happened. Mike's horse bucked and threw her into the water where the cattle surged around her...

Brian screamed in panic. "Ma!"At the same time as Matthew yelled...

"Dr Mike!" He'd really done it this time he'd hurt his Ma. He didn't call her Ma but she was his Ma in every way that counted and he hadn't kept her safe. Suddenly Sully's words hit home and he didn't know what to do but turn to the man he thought of as his Pa. The man who was always there when he needed him.

"Sully! Dr Mike's down." he hollered. Sully wasted no time getting to Michaela. He pulled her onto the back of his horse and rode her to safety. He set her down to make sure she was ok when Matthew rode up in a panic.

"I'm so sorry...Dr Mike...I'm so sorry...It was all my fault." he blurted.

"No Matthew..." she started.

"You're right. And incensed Sully said with a look that promised he would pay. There was no attitude this time, Matthew knew he was wrong and he would take whatever he had coming but he couldn't face that look so he jumped on his horse and rode away. Sully tended to Michaela...there would be time to deal with Matthew later.

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"She feeling better?" Matthew asked as Sully left the tent. Sully didn't answer him, he was still beyond angry.

"Wanna cup?" Matthew asked, knowing that it wasn't what Sully wanted to hear. Truth was he didn't know what to say...or how to fix things. It had all gone so horribly wrong.

Sully walked away. He was angry and he meant to weigh his words. He needed to calm down before he discussed anything with Matthew.

Michaela was tending to the wounds on her shoulder when Matthew walked in hat in hand...literally.

"Here...let me help you." he said. Michaela let him, sensing that he needed to talk. He suddenly stuttered out the words that were almost choking him. How he'd messed everything up and how Colleen had been hurt and Brian. How he'd almost lost her. He couldn't believe that he'd risked everything he loved...for cattle.

"Matthew, you haven't messed everything up." But Matthew knew different and he couldn't shake the guilt he was feeling. He should have let Sully guide him.

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Sully had calmed some and was tending to his horse. The large animal's steady breathing was soothing. He sensed that someone was behind him and he also knew who. He knew he would come to him when he was ready.

"Sully...you were right and I was wrong." Sully's heart leapt...finally. "I shouldda listened. Dr Mike couldda been killed. Brian couldda been killed...I was foolish and pig headed." Sully turned to find Matthew was holding the switch that had been in his saddle bag.

"Matthew..." he said with a shake of his head.

"You told me what would happen..." Sully nodded and Matthew braced himself against the wagon. Sully raised the switch and brought it down on Matthew's backside. The boy jumped and squeezed his eyes shut and the next thwack didn't come he turned. Sully snapped the switch and threw it on the ground.

"A big part of bein a man is knowin what you did wrong and takin steps to repair the damage. You're on your way." Matthew stood with tears in his eyes and nodded.

"Thanks."

"What for?"

"Everythin. But specially for savin Ma." He didn't even realise that the actual word had slipped out. It came so natural. "Your always there at the right time."

"And I always will be."

The End


End file.
